Interview: Maya Gabeira Talks Books, Big Waves and Life-Changing Wipeouts

If you follow big wave surfing , the name Maya Gabeira should ring a bell. A barrier-shattering pioneer, in 2013, the Brazilian surfer took the beating of a lifetime at Nazare , nearly losing her life and breaking her ankle in a massive wipeout. Four years and three spine surgeries later, Gabeira was back in top physical form and once again riding waves of consequence.

Fast forward to 2020 and Gabeira dropped into a 73.5-foot bomb at Nazare, setting the world record for the largest wave ever ridden by a woman. There's a new movie in the works about her journey entitled "Maya and the Wave." The trailer just dropped today. Initial screenings are planned for New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles this September.

With not shortage of projects in the works, Gabeira also has been writing a new book, "Maya Makes Waves." SURFER caught up with her between training sessions and asked about that infamous wipeout, her world record wave, what it’s like being a woman in a male dominated sport, and what it's like living the writer's life:

SURFER: How did you first get into surfing?
Maya Gabiera: I grew up in Rio in Brazil and the first time I had a surfboard and actually tried to surf I was 13. I got into surfing when I was 14 when I befriended a bunch of boys who surfed and I started dating a surfer. I was really interested in the sport but I didn’t know how to start. When I started hanging out with them I decided that it was time and I went to surf school.

When did you get into big wave surfing?
I was always a bit inclined to bigger waves and the challenge and the energy of the ocean, even at 15 and 16 when I was starting to compete in state championships and stuff like that in Rio. But the big wave surfing really started when I went to Hawaii when I was 17 for the first time. I was very drawn to bigger waves, so I started with Sunset, small Waimea, and Pipe and it was there on the North Shore that I started becoming very interested, passionate, and dedicated to big waves surfing.

The first big wave I rode was on February 6, 2006, at Waimea Bay. It was a beautiful Super Bowl Sunday with huge waves...

Do you remember the first big wave you rode?
The first big wave I rode was on February 6, 2006, at Waimea Bay. It was a beautiful Super Bowl Sunday with huge waves at Waimea. I was 18 years old and that was my first time paddling out at Waimea on a proper big day full of pros and big wave surfers. It was super scary. I rode exactly four waves that day and I really got super hooked, not just on the rides but on expecting a huge day and all the anticipation, prepping, and getting ready. And then being able to paddle out and successfully ride some waves and come in safe. The whole package of it just got me very hooked to the sport – the adrenaline and how I felt afterwards. From there I never stopped.

When was the first time you surfed Nazare?
In October of 2013 was my first time at Nazare. We spent a month there on an expedition with Red Bull. That was also the same trip that I had my big accident.

Walk us through that massive Nazare wipeout.
[Nazare] was above what we were used to, even though we spent a month there we weren’t super dialed with all the safety protocols, the power of the jet skis, the driver and the rescues, and using of the radios was pretty new to us – I think that had a big weight on the accident. But then also a lot of mistakes happened one after the other: Losing the ski, my life jacket popped off my head, and I broke my fibula. The choice of the wave itself was not right either. A lot of things I would put on the lack of experience and the level of danger that Nazare is when it’s that big was above and beyond what we were used to.

I ended up being on a stretch of three spine surgeries for the next three years. It took me four years to get back to a level of high performance.

After I had a broken fibula and I was dealing for many years with an injury in my spine but the accident really aggravated it. After nine months of trying to rehab it, I decided to go into my first surgery. That wasn’t very successful, so I ended up being on a stretch of three spine surgeries for the next three years. It took me four years to get back to a level of high performance.

How did you convince yourself to get back out there after the accident?
There was no convincing, it was just what I was going to do. But I was scared. It was very traumatic and it was very hard, not just the trauma emotionally and physically but also the concept of failure, not belonging, and the criticism that came with it. It was very hard to quiet all the outside noise towards the accident, my surfing, myself, my abilities, and my belonging in that space. I was not ready to give up on my dreams and I’ve always really loved the process – that’s what I focused on.

Fast forward to 2020 and you set the women’s world record for the largest wave ever ridden. Did you know the wave was that big while you were riding it?
That day the forecast was so giant, so we knew it was a record breaking potential day. I hadn’t seen it that big since my accident and since I started surfing big waves again physically prepared. There was a lot of expectation for that day and it definitely lived up to it. I knew that any good set wave would be a world record for women. It was about setting it on a day that would be a legit day for men and women in the sport and just ride it successfully to be able to verify it and hopefully get that category started. It was a special day of surfing.

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Was that a cool full circle moment getting the record after coming back from your accident?
It would have been if they had given it to me but it wasn’t really that enjoyable because I had to fight for months and months and petition against the WSL and Guinness to get a world record for women recognized. It took a lot of joy out of my accomplishment and it came with a lot of stress. It was a very difficult process to make a women’s record recognized in the surf world. Now nobody even questions it anymore but at the time it was a concept completely foreign to them. It took ten months of fighting and emotional stress to get them to realize that it was time and it was sensible to start with that ride.

What has your experience been like being a woman in a male dominated sport?
It has been difficult. Not only do we lack opportunities but we lack support in general. There’s a lot of prejudice and it’s a challenge to always have to work with, team up with, and travel with men. Most of the team managers and marketing directors of companies are run by men, so there’s a lot of men. To have that as your daily work environment can be quite challenging. For me, especially, being a woman and Brazilian, I think I was very low on the scale of merit. I definitely grew hard skin for all the criticism and difficulties I had to go through and still go through, but it also made me the person who I am and for that I’m grateful.

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Tell us about your new book: "Maya Makes Waves ."
I started with "Maya and the Beast" for a picture book. When I had that idea I pitched it as a sequel because there were more things I wanted to write with that character. A passion of mine has been ocean conservation for many years and I thought it was a good time to share my experiences with kids and put the message out there. "Maya Makes Waves" is different than "Maya and the Beast " which is personal and kind of a biography for kids that hopefully will inspire girls and kids to go out and chase their dreams and do things that maybe aren’t easy or something that others expect from them. "Maya Makes Waves " is more about a hopeful message and a hope for getting kids more involved and to care about the health of the ocean.

What are your plans/goals looking forward?
Just to improve in my sport and maintain my health. I am also editing my third book which will launch next year. I’m just constantly trying to keep myself busy, motivated, surfing, and healthy – that’s the goal really. I think the success and the achievements come if you keep trying to improve and keep yourself engaged, passionate, and committed to the sport.

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